Latest news with #NorthCarolinaForestService
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Brush fire closes Brunswick road, threatens homes
A large brush fire in Brunswick County on Thursday, May 22, is threatening homes in the Winnabow area. Multiple units are on the scene of the blaze, which has prompted the closure of Rock Creek Road, according to a Facebook post from the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office. Fire engines are protecting homes as of Thursday evening, according to a Facebook post from the Winnabow Volunteer Fire Department. It's the second such fire to impact Brunswick County in May. The first, which started on May 2, burned more than 1,300 acres in the Boiling Spring Lakes area. On Thursday, officials said there are still hot spots with the fire at 83 percent containment. Bobby Lowery, 28, of Nebo, N.C., has been charged with not keeping a person in charge of a brush fire in relation to the wildfire in Boiling Spring Lakes. "Drought conditions have persisted this spring in southeastern North Carolina, keeping vegetation primed for catching fire," the North Carolina Forest Service stated in a May 12 news release. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Fire in Brunswick County, NC, closes Rock Creek Road, threatens homes
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
After investigation, man charged in connection with wildfire in Brunswick County
A man has been charged in connection with the Sunset Road Wildfire in Brunswick County. Bobby Lowery, 28, of Nebo, N.C., has been charged with not keeping a person in charge of a brush fire in relation to the 1,331-acre wildfire in Boiling Spring Lakes. Though the wildfire started on May 2, the cause of the wildfire has been determined to be a debris burn that occurred on April 25 on private property, the North Carolina Forest Service stated in a May 12 news release. "Drought conditions have persisted this spring in southeastern North Carolina, keeping vegetation primed for catching fire," the news release stated. "Prolific organic soils throughout this area can hold ground fire for an extended period of time, particularly when dry," per the news release. "These factors, combined with a forecast cold front moving through the area contributed to the extreme fire behavior and continued spread May 3." Related: Fighting flames and filling cups: How Brunswick has come together during a wildfire Lowery was cited and charged with North Carolina General Statute 14-140.1. The statute states anyone burning brush, grass or other material "without keeping and maintaining a careful watchman in charge of the burning" where property may be endangered or destroyed "shall be guilty of an infraction." The infraction, per the statute, "may include a fine of not more than $50." "Fire escaping from the brush, grass, or other material while burning shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this provision," the statute states. After more than a week of burning, the wildfire is at 83% containment as of May 12, per the North Carolina Forest Service. Effective at noon on Monday, May 12, 2025, the Brunswick County Fire Marshal's Office lifted a ban on all open burning within 100 feet of an occupied structure for the unincorporated areas within the county. The burn ban was issued on May 2, 2025, due to an increased risk of fire danger and unfavorable weather and drought conditions forecasted for the area, partially due to the wildfire affecting Boiling Spring Lakes. 'Residents should still be on guard and monitor any burning they may do to ensure safety and compliance with the law,' Fire Marshal Andrew Thompson said. 'Rainy weather and other factors are helping improve some of the dangerous conditions we have seen here lately, but it is important to remain cautious to help our firefighters and public safety crews as they work to mitigate the remaining work related to the recent wildfire.' Keep up with the area's latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@ This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Man charged in connection with wildfire in Boiling Spring Lakes
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires grow to hundreds of acres after North Carolina lifts burn ban
Western North Carolina is fending off more raging wildfires spanning hundreds of acres this week. The blazes are burning less than a month after multiple fires tore across the state as well as South Carolina amid warm and dry flames in the Tar Heel State have fed on debris left over from Hurricane Helene last fall, resulting in mass evacuations and the destruction of multiple homes. After rainy weather offered some relief earlier this month, North Carolina lifted a statewide ban on open burning. Officials told residents to remain vigilant, and that lifting the ban did not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. 'We've received some well-timed, much-needed rain over the last couple days which has helped reduce fire danger, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions across the state,' said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. 'However, we are still in the midst of spring wildfire season and our recent wildfire activity, especially in Western North Carolina, is a reminder to remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly.' That was before the start of the Rattlesnake Branch fire and the most recent Bee Rock Creek fire. While the Rattlesnake Branch fire has been contained by firefighters, the Bee Rock Creek fire is holding strong in steep and forested terrain. Rain isn't expected in the area of the fire until next week. Some social media users are calling for the state's burn ban to be reinstated. 'Time to declare another burn ban, no rain for the next three weeks and lots more windy dry days,' Stu Art said in a post on the North Carolina Forest Service Facebook page. 'I was thinking the same thing,' replied Simone Lipscomb. The Bee Rock Creek fire started on Tuesday, nine miles northwest of the city of Marion. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The blaze has forced evacuation orders around the Pisgah National Forest. An air quality alert was also issued for the evacuation area through midnight on Saturday due to the choking wildfire smoke. By Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to 856 acres with 10 percent containment. Another windy day was expected to make continuous firefighting efforts tricky. 'Firefighters will also be mopping up along Armstrong Creek Road, extinguishing hotspots to secure containment lines. Crews are prepping the Blue Ridge Parkway as a potential containment line by removing downed vegetation from Hurricane Helene,' the North Carolina Forest Service said. Elsewhere, firefighters were working to combat the 790-acre Haoe Lead fire, which is not yet contained. Located about an hour away, that fire was started by a lightning strike. Increased wildfire danger is expected across the country due to the impacts of human-caused climate change. Rainier weather will cause the growth of more vegetation that can dry out and become fuel during the drier and hotter months. Warmer temperatures will also lead to faster and stronger Atlantic hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that take aim at the Southeast. But, there are immediate steps that people can take to protect themselves from catastrophic wildfires. 'As a resident, you can do things like cleaning up any leaves or pine needles in your yard, clearing dead trees and other vegetation around your home, and avoiding outdoor fires when environmental conditions are right for wildfires,' the National Academy of Medicine said this week.
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Wildfires grow to hundreds of acres after North Carolina lifts burn ban
Western North Carolina is fending off more raging wildfires spanning hundreds of acres this week. The blazes are burning less than a month after multiple fires tore across the state as well as South Carolina amid warm and dry flames in the Tar Heel State have fed on debris left over from Hurricane Helene last fall, resulting in mass evacuations and the destruction of multiple homes. After rainy weather offered some relief earlier this month, North Carolina lifted a statewide ban on open burning. Officials told residents to remain vigilant, and that lifting the ban did not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. 'We've received some well-timed, much-needed rain over the last couple days which has helped reduce fire danger, allowing us to lift burn ban restrictions across the state,' said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. 'However, we are still in the midst of spring wildfire season and our recent wildfire activity, especially in Western North Carolina, is a reminder to remain vigilant about burning safely and responsibly.' That was before the start of the Rattlesnake Branch fire and the most recent Bee Rock Creek fire. While the Rattlesnake Branch fire has been contained by firefighters, the Bee Rock Creek fire is holding strong in steep and forested terrain. Rain isn't expected in the area of the fire until next week. Some social media users are calling for the state's burn ban to be reinstated. 'Time to declare another burn ban, no rain for the next three weeks and lots more windy dry days,' Stu Art said in a post on the North Carolina Forest Service Facebook page. 'I was thinking the same thing,' replied Simone Lipscomb. The Bee Rock Creek fire started on Tuesday, nine miles northwest of the city of Marion. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The blaze has forced evacuation orders around the Pisgah National Forest. An air quality alert was also issued for the evacuation area through midnight on Saturday due to the choking wildfire smoke. By Friday afternoon, the fire had grown to 856 acres with 10 percent containment. Another windy day was expected to make continuous firefighting efforts tricky. 'Firefighters will also be mopping up along Armstrong Creek Road, extinguishing hotspots to secure containment lines. Crews are prepping the Blue Ridge Parkway as a potential containment line by removing downed vegetation from Hurricane Helene,' the North Carolina Forest Service said. Elsewhere, firefighters were working to combat the 790-acre Haoe Lead fire, which is not yet contained. Located about an hour away, that fire was started by a lightning strike. Increased wildfire danger is expected across the country due to the impacts of human-caused climate change. Rainier weather will cause the growth of more vegetation that can dry out and become fuel during the drier and hotter months. Warmer temperatures will also lead to faster and stronger Atlantic hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that take aim at the Southeast. But, there are immediate steps that people can take to protect themselves from catastrophic wildfires. 'As a resident, you can do things like cleaning up any leaves or pine needles in your yard, clearing dead trees and other vegetation around your home, and avoiding outdoor fires when environmental conditions are right for wildfires,' the National Academy of Medicine said this week.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Communities scramble to flee as explosive wildfires torch over 10 square miles: 'One more thing that they're having to deal with'
Fires that burned almost 10 square miles in late March across two counties of western North Carolina forced officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders. Tinder-dry conditions and fuel provided by leftover debris from Hurricane Helene set the stage for a voracious spring wildfire season in the Carolinas, the Associated Press reported. Even after a statewide burn ban that had been in effect for nearly two weeks in late March was lifted, wildfires continued to rage across North Carolina. As April began, there were at least eight wildfires burning across North Carolina, the largest of which burned nearly four thousand acres. South Carolina also started April with eight active wildfires. The Table Rock Fire, the state's largest at the time, had charred nearly 13,000 acres. Residents of two harder-hit counties in western North Carolina, Polk and Henderson, were under evacuation orders and urged to move to an emergency shelter. "A lot of the damage and the blowdown, the downed trees from Hurricane Helene are contributing to the difficulties that our firefighters are facing trying to contain this fire and so that has just been kind of one ongoing crisis from September all through into the spring for a lot of these residents," North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Bo Dossett told the AP. "This is one more thing that they're having to deal with on top of what they experienced back in the fall." Recent rains have helped firefighters get many of the fires under control over the last week, and assisting firefighters from out of state have begun traveling home, but not all fires are completely contained yet and there is still much recovery work to do even in the areas that are out of the woods. Several rapid attribution studies have shown Hurricane Helene was supercharged by the overheating of the planet. Scientists with World Weather Attribution concluded that our warming world was a "key driver of catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Helene that devastated both coastal and inland communities." The debris left in the storm's wake dried up in the unusually warm and dry period that followed. The period of October through February was the 31st-warmest and fourth-driest on record for North Carolina, and the 26th-warmest and fourth-driest for South Carolina. The last U.S. Drought Monitor report posted in March revealed that 61% of North Carolina and nearly 60% of South Carolina were enduring a moderate drought, level one out of four. "Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Report. Reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases released into Earth's atmosphere by transitioning from dirty energy to renewable energy sources will help cool our planet. We can all help curb harmful carbon pollution by doing things like installing a heat pump, switching to an induction stove, or signing up for community solar power — which can seem small, but once added up across even a million people, make a big difference. Do you think your house could withstand a hurricane? No way Maybe a weak one I'm not sure It definitely could Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
